A/N: This is a story that is basically an AU I've had on my mind for a while now, where Kairi is far from useless or defenseless and actually has her own role to play. This story is Kairi-centric, which means most changes will revolve around Kairi, and since we've arrived at DDD, some will also revolve around Naminé and Xion.
Also, please review! Tell me what you think!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Disney in any way, shape, or form! I only own an OC who will appear much later in the story (about KH3-ish).
Note: Remember that if I don't add a scene (or don't write out the whole thing; same goes with the designs), it means that it's the same as in canon. Just FYI.
Quick note before we begin: Out of the other six Princesses, Aurora is the one who will seem the most out of character here. This is because the Disney Wiki has pointed out that of all the Disney Princess lineup, Aurora is the least in control of her life, while the KH Wiki doesn't even have a section on her personality. Those two facts are the main inspiration for this chapter. Hopefully, you all like the direction I took her story in.
This chapter will focus on the second world of Kairi's test, Enchanted Dominion, where the Princess there struggles to stop something far beyond her control. The following scenario is inspired by/based on the movie "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil".
!~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~O~A~T~H~K~E~E~P~E~R~~A~U~~!
Kingdom Hearts: The Oathkeeper
Chapter 17: Dream Drop Distance, Part 3
~Enchanted Dominion~
It had been five years since the curse was broken. Aurora was now the necessary age to take up the crown, so she was currently in her room, getting ready for her coronation later this evening.
She wished Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather were here to help her steady her nerves. They also promised to be here, but they weren't. Maybe their business wasn't quite done yet. She hoped they'd be here on time. They were the ones who had raised her, after all. She wanted them to see her crowned as the kingdom's queen, defying the odds placed on her by Maleficent so long ago.
Aurora was proud of herself, she really was. She was never expected to make it this far. But she did, and now, here she was.
There was a knock on her door, which opened when she said, "It's open."
In came her parents, King Stefan and Queen Leah. Leah's eyes immediately filled with unshed tears, as she smiled at the sigh of her grown daughter.
"Well?" Aurora twirled around, modeling the dress she chose to wear. It was her usual dress, with the compromise of the color being pink on the top and blue on the bottom, with the two colors blending beautifully near the middle.
"You look beautiful, sweetheart," Leah said.
Stefan stepped forward, "You do. We just came here to tell you that we are so proud of you."
"You are?" Aurora asked. To be honest, she wanted to hear those words from the three fairies more. "I don't think I'm ready."
"You are ready," Stefan replied. "You will find your way soon enough."
"He's right," Leah cut in. "Your heart is strong, and you are able to remain calm even in dire situations."
Aurora smiled. She only knew her parents for the past five years, and this was frankly the closest she's ever felt with them.
"But we do have some bad news," Leah continued, and Aurora's smile fell into a concerned frown.
Stefan explained, "Flora, Fauna, Merryweather, and Phillip will be unable to attend your coronation."
"What?" This is what set her off. "Why?"
Neither parent gave her an answer. Her mother only said, "We're sorry," before she and Stefan left Aurora's room.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Aurora managed to sneak out of her room a couple minutes after her parents left, and she shadowed them all the way to their own room. The three fairies wouldn't be able to attend her coronation, and her parents knew why. Sick and tired of being kept in the dark, she had decided to find the answers herself.
"...can't believe they'd do something like this," her mother was saying. "Are you sure we can't change the counsel's mind? There's no proof." The counsel was the monarch's group of advisors.
"Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather are the only people in the area who are well-versed in magic," her father replied. "If they can give us the counter-spell, then the counsel will consider changing their minds."
"But they won't."
"I am aware," Stefan said. "That is the problem."
"That is because they maintain their innocence," Leah responded. She was trying her best to remain calm. "And frankly, I cannot determine why they would curse Prince Phillip. He's been nothing but kind to them."
Aurora barely managed to hide her gasp of shock and give away her prescence. Her three fairy godmothers cursed her one true love?!
"And them to him," Stefan replied. "I do not understand it either, but the counsel will riot if they are not executed by dawn tomorrow."
"You will hold off the execution for as long as possible, won't you?" Leah asked, her voice soft and sounding more like a mother than she's ever have. "Aurora adores them, so we owe it to her to give Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather the benefit of a doubt."
"I'm trying my best," Stefan admitted, his voice just as soft as his wife's. "But I cannot make any promises."
The two did not talk any more after this, making it clear that this conversation was over. Knowing this, a crestfallen Aurora hurried back to her room, wondering how she was going to fix this.
If she could.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
The moment Aurora's door closed behind her, she began pacing.
What was she going to do? Was there anything she could do? Why was the counsel interested in this witch hunt so much? Judging by what her father said, and how he sounded, there was nothing he could do either!
The storm cloud that was her thoughts immediately cleared up when she heard an unfamiliar voice ask, "Trouble in paradise?"
Aurora turned around to see Kairi sitting on her window sill, with a six-legged purple cat and brightly colored lion sitting down next to her.
Kairi watched Aurora carefully as the elder crossed over to her, before gently scratching the top of Aura Lion's head, resulting in the Dream Eater purring in contentment.
"What's wrong?" Kairi asked.
At first, she was concerned to arrive here and not see Aurora in her room, but now she was even more concerned about how trouble Aurora appeared to be.
Aurora was considered the de-facto leader of the seven of them. She held the strongest prescence of authority, and she was able to remain the calmest while Sora was fighting the Behemoth and locking the keyhole in Hollow Bastion. She was also the oldest, so it only made sense that she'd be the one in charge.
So it was very disconcerting watching her break down like this. Kairi could feel fractures all around her. They were small, so it made her optimistic that Aurora could be saved. In that respect, Kairi knew she had to act fast.
Aura Lion's purring seemed to be calming Aurora down, as evidenced by her finally speaking, "My parents that the four people I want at my coronation the most will not be able to attend, but when I asked why, I received no answers."
"Okay," Kairi said, showing that she was following along so far. While she was listening, she was also analyzing Aurora's emotions. Though calm, Kairi could tell the elder of the two was still stressed. Not much better, but she'll take it.
"So I followed my parents to their room and overheard their conversation," Aurora paused, taking a deep breath to relax herself as much as possible. "They-...they said that-...that Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather had cursed Phillip. And them knowing magic is the only evidence the counsel needed to deem them guilty. They're to be executed by dawn tomorrow."
Kairi could feel the heartache all around her, "I see. So you wish to prove their innocence before then."
"Yes," Aurora replied. "They have raised me since I was a baby. I know them. They would never curse anybody. They don't have the ability to use dark magic! They are light, through and through!" Aurora was raising her voice, and the stress she was under was only fracturing her heart more. "I need to prove them innocent! But the problem is that I can't do anything about it!"
She needed to find a way, Kairi realized. Aurora needed to find a way she could fix this. Otherwise, her heart would be broken beyond repair, just like Snow White's.
"I know how you feel," Kairi was quiet. "There are times were my friends and allies try to tell me what to do out of fear I'll get hurt, but they ultimately respect that I am my own person and let me make my own decisions. But I still feel safe with them, because I know I can count on them to have my back in case things go south. You make the choices you feel are right, Aurora, and I'll be watching your back the entire way."
"Y-You would do that? For me?" Aurora asked.
"Of course, I would." That's kinda why she was here. "We're sisters-in-arms, aren't we?"
Aurora smiled, for what felt like the first time in a while, "Thank you, Kairi."
"No problem," Kairi smiled back, before getting to her feet, with Necho Cat and Aura Lion also standing. "What's first?"
"First things first," Aurora said, "I want to get their side of the story first."
"Alright. Where are they being kept?" the redhead asked.
"In the dungeon," the elder replied. "Let's go."
As Kairi followed Aurora, she couldn't ignore a prescence of darkness within the shadows. The same prescence was in Snow White's heart as well, which made sense, because someone had put them all to sleep, even Kairi who was already asleep.
(However, it told her that this darkness had went directly for the heart, a different method than Master Yen Sid's.)
Anyways, it made sense that darkness would surround their hearts, as it was that darkness that put them to sleep in the first place. But this prescence was interesting to Kairi for one simple, but alarming reason:
She had felt this darkness before, from a time she couldn't remember at all.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
On the way there, Necho Cat and Aura Lion focused on defending Aurora while Kairi fought off various Nightmares with the Keyblade being in Aurora's heart had given her access to.
The Fairy Stars Keyblade, which was modeled after the three good fairies (via their colors) along with Maleficent (who was also a fairy, Aurora revealed) and shooting stars, gave her blanaced boost in Strength and Magic. It was also surrounded in a golden aura, Aurora's aura.
Once they reached the dungeon, Aurora immediately locked eyes on the three good fairies and made a beeline straight for the cell they were being kept in. Kairi stood nearby, her Keyblade in hand, close enough to hear what they were saying but far enough way to not be intruding. The two Dream Eaters were watching the entrance, standing guard.
"Flora, Fauna, Merryweather!" Aurora cried as she dropped to her knees in front of their cell, her hands tightly clutching the bars that separated them from her. "I know what happened, at least according to the counsel. Do you wish to tell me your side of the story?"
"We did not curse Prince Phillip," Merryweather said. "We swear!"
"I know," Aurora replied. "I believe you, but the counsel does not."
"They keep telling us that if we reveal the counter-spell, then they will consider letting us go," Fauna said. "But we can't reveal the counter-spell of a curse we have no knowledge of."
"Keyword: consider, not 'will' by itself. They have no tangible evidence, and yet they plan to burn us at the stake," Flora said. "We didn't even get a trial, much less a fair one."
"Again, I believe you," Aurora said. "I know neither of you would do something like this, and I think my parents know that as well. The problem is convincing the counsel."
Kairi finally spoke up, "Aurora, you're about to be named Queen tonight, while the execution is tomorrow morning at the latest. Maybe you can use your newfound power to call off the execution."
Aurora smiled, and nodded, "Great idea. I never considered that." Her fists clenched in determination. "Thank you, Kairi. I know what to do know, and it's something only I can do."
For once. Kairi knew that made Aurora happy. She did not feel any more fracturing, so she felt confident that she could at least save Aurora.
However, she spoke too soon, because just then, the dungeon door open and in stepped King Stefan and Queen Leah, both looking as upset as Aurora was before.
"Aurora!" The blonde turned around to face her parents the moment her mother said her name. "What are you doing here?"
"What does it look like?" Aurora talked back.
"This place is off limits," Stefan replied. "Especially to you, Aurora."
"Why?" The blonde asked. "Why am I not allowed down here? To prevent me from learning the truth?"
"Not now," Stefan scolded. "We'll talk about this later, including the bad influence you call a friend." He stole a glare at Kairi as he said this. Kairi glared back. "We have news. The counsel has decided to hold off your coronation until dawn so that the execution can be moved to tonight instead."
Kairi immediately felt irreparable cracks appear in Aurora's heart the moment her father said this, and she felt her own heart fracture, knowing that just moments before, she was the one who had brought Aurora's spirits up only for them to be brought down.
"What?" Aurora's voice was surprisingly calm, which told Kairi that one of two things was about to happen. One: Aurora was finally going to accept that there was nothing she could do after all, or two: she was about to blow a gasket.
The second option was obviously the most likely scenario.
No one spoke as Aurora finally vented, "No! I won't accept that! I am so sick and tired of people running by life for me! It's been that way since I was born! First, I'm cursed by Maleficent as a baby, which led to me living in the woods, away from my parents, before someone else breaks my curse! It's no different now! The three who raised me are being blamed for something they clearly did not do! I was planning on calling off their execution at my coronation, but now you tell me that the events have now switched places! I've never had any agency whatsoever, and the least you two can do is let me let me break one simple rule with the one person who truly cares about me and my problems!"
Kairi (the person Aurora was referring to at the end there) wanted to interrupt, because with each word, a new crack was formed in Aurora's heart, and by the time she was done, her heart was obviously broken beyond repair. Kairi wanted to cry. Aurora was now beyond saving.
But she didn't. Just like with Snow White, Kairi knew that there was no way she could ever fully understand Aurora's trauma, her stress, her insecurities, her frustrations. It was only right to let Aurora keep ranting until she felt better.
Even if it meant that Kairi failed to save her too.
Stefan and Leah were speechless, as were the three fairies. Seeing this, and remembering the Poison Apple Nightmare, Kairi jumped in with another solution.
"I think I know who's really behind this, who really cursed Prince Phillip," the redhead said, mainly addressing Aurora's parents. "It may be a creature from the darkness. If you two will permit me, I can hunt it down and defeat it. When I do, Prince Phillip will wake up and everything will return to normal."
Snow White had a Nightmare. Aurora probably had one too. Snow's had cursed Florian by turning him into a bear, so it was possible Aurora's had cursed Phillip as well.
"I'm going with her," Aurora immediately added.
"Aurora, sweetheart-" Leah began, but Aurora cut her off.
"Don't you dare tell me to stay," the blonde repied. "It would be fruitless. I'm going with Kairi no matter what you say."
Leah was quiet, "I wasn't going to. I was just going to apologize."
"W-What?" Now, it was Aurora's turn to be speechless.
Leah continued, "I'm so sorry, dear. I never realized the depth of your problems. Honestly, I just assumed that you didn't have any. The fairies said that you were such a happy and innocent child."
"I wasn't happy and innocent," Aurora corrected. "I was ignorant, blissfully unaware of the reality of my situation."
"We understand that now," Stefan cut in, finally speaking. "In any case, we just regret not raising you ourselves. We wish we hadn't sent you away. That decision prevented us from forming a proper connection with our daughter." He then turned to Kairi, "You may hunt this creature down. If you need back-up, all you must do is ask. All we ask of you is that you keep our daughter safe. In the meantime, Leah and I will try our best to hold off the counsel as long as possible."
Kairi smiled before bowing in respect, "Thank you, and to be frank, I believe your daughter is more than capable of keeping herself safe."
The two Princesses of Heart left the dungeon in better moods than when the entered.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
It was thirty minutes, and at least one hundred more Nightmares slain, later when the two sat down on a bench in the castle garden. The main Nightmare had not shown its face, which Kairi found weird since Snow's Nightmare had attacked her at least three separate times.
Until Kairi remembered that Snow mentioned one of her worst fears was freezing up in the prescence of danger. Aurora's, meanwhile, was being unable to control her own life. Thus, it made sense for Snow's to attack her frequently and Aurora's to stay hidden until the truth was revealed.
"Aurora," Kairi had to ask, "what would you say is a traumatic item for you?" Snow White's was an apple, thus resulting in the Poison Apple Nightmare. There was no doubt, the other five were the same way.
"The spindle of a spinning wheel," Aurora replied. "Pricking my finger on it was what sent me to sleep."
Of course! A spindle! Why didn't she remember something so obvious before.
"Why?" Aurora suddenly asked, bringing Kairi back to reality. When Kairi didn't answer, Aurora continued, "Oh, it's what my Nightmare looks like, isn't it?"
Kairi was about to respond, until she realized what Aurora said: 'My Nightmare'.
She knew, just like Snow White did.
"Yes," Kairi replied. "How long have you known?"
"Since you first arrived through my window," Aurora revealed. "I can sense Snow's X-Blade fragment within you."
"She gave it to me," Kairi replied, remembering Snow telling her that the other five would realize the truth when Kairi appeared before them. So that's what she was talking about. The others would be able to sense that Kairi more than one X-Blade fragment.
"I know," Aurora was calm. "And I know why." The sky was still filled with the setting sun, but the world suddenly went dark as a bright light began to shine from Aurora's chest. Her hands cupped the light that emerged from her. Kairi watched as, like Snow, the light formulated into a flower petal.
"Y-You're giving me your fragment too?" Kairi asked, not wanting to believe the full weight of what was actually happening.
Aurora nodded, "Yes. Snow gave you hers because she knew she was beyond saving. As am I." The look in her eyes reminding Kairi that the redhead knew this too. Kairi hung her head in defeat. "Hey, Kairi." She looked back up at the elder. "You being here is better than you not being here at all. You may not be able to save us, but you are giving us the chance to prevent the darkness from winning."
Kairi swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, before taking the X-Blade fragment and accepting it into her own heart. "Doesn't mean I can't try."
"Oh, I agree," Aurora replied. "The more of us that survive, the better. But all of us are aware of the worse case scenario and how likely it is."
Kairi nodded, knowing both of those answers herself. The worst case scenario was that the darkness would win and receive all seven X-Blade fragments, thus sending every single world into darkness that could never be vanquished. And the likeliness of that happening, as of right now, was very high, especially since all seven Princesses were asleep.
"And out of all seven of us, you are the best choice," the blonde continued. "You have something powerful at your disposal."
Her Keyblade, Aurora meant. Kairi had a Keyblade and the spirit to fight back.
"One more thing," Aurora said. "This darkness has a name. I don't know what it is, but I can feel the prescence of someone here. You can too."
She could. In fact, Kairi could not stop wondering where she felt this darkness before.
"Remember that this is my choice, Kairi," Aurora finished. "I know what this means, and what will happen once you leave."
"Yeah..." Didn't mean she couldn't be sad about it, though.
Out of nowhere, an explosion sounded from inside the castle, sending the two to their feet and back inside.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Prince Phillip had suddenly awoken without warning, and now in a trance, he had made his way towards the dungeon, where Aurora's parents and the three good fairies were.
Flora's warning is what saved Stefan from being slain by Phillip's sword. Fauna's explanation of Phillip being under a trance is what allowed Leah and Stefan both to finally understand what really happened. Merryweather's urgent call for them to run for safety is what led the two monarchs to the Great Hall, where the thrones were, and where their daughter's coronation was being prepared.
Even if they were being attacked by an entranced Phillip, Leah and Stefan both knew for certain now that the three fairies were indeed completely innocent. All three had helped them, despite being behind bars.
If they and Kairi were right, then this creature cursed Prince Phillip and pinned the blame on three innocent fairies. Aurora was right all along.
The floor below them suddenly broke apart before a monster emerged from it. It looked like a giant spinning wheel, with the spindle heavily emphasized and the whole thing colored a sickly green.
Phillip raised his sword again, this time stopping when a voice called out, "I knew it!"
Kairi and Aurora were at the front doors. Kairi summoned her Keyblade and threw it at the monster, before teleporting directly to her Keyblade. As she began beating it down, Aurora rushed over to her parents, placing herself between them and Phillip's sword.
Aurora must have seen his eyes, because she didn't seem put off by the trance he was under. She just braced herself and ignored her parents' pleas for her to move as she stood her ground.
Phillip swung his sword down, only for Aurora to catch it with her hands. She then apologized before kicking his knee, sending him stumbling to the ground. Two armored knights immediately stepped in and kept a firm grip on the entranced Phillip, who, with his sword now in Aurora's possession, was not as harmful as he was initially.
"That was amazing, sweetie," Stefan praised his daughter. "Where did you learn that?"
"Phillip taught it to me," Aurora replied, before turning back to where Kairi was.
Kairi was hit and sent flying back, only to quickly recover by landing on her left hand and flipping over so that she had landed on her knees. This Nightmare was tough.
The Curse Spindle Nightmare, just as she suspected, was the one who had cursed Phillip, allowing it to control his body to attack Aurora's parents, prepared to do anything to pin the blame on the three fairies still in the dungeon and awaiting execution.
Now, all she had to do was defeat this Nightmare, then Aurora would receive a happy ending, exactly what she deserved.
As Kairi got back to her feet, Aurora ran up to her and stood at her side. The two shared a glance, and Kairi immediately knew what the blonde was trying to tell her.
She wanted to go down fighting, much like Snow White had.
Kairi nodded at the elder, before the two turned back towards the Nightmare.
Aurora and Aura Lion charged into the fight together, while Kairi turned to Necho Cat and ordered, "Protect her parents!"
As Necho Cat ran over to Stefan and Leah and stood guard, Kairi turned back to the Nightmare and charged at it with full force, holding nothing back.
As she fought the thing, she suddenly realized a pattern. She tended to use her anger as energy during a fight. It happened before with the Hockomonkey and Poison Apple Nightmares, and it was happening again with this Curse Spindle Nightmare. Now that she thought about it, it also happened before with Ansem and again with Xemnas, as well as Axel and Saix (to an extent).
Every so often, she glanced over at Aurora to see how she was holding up. Just like she told her parents, Aurora was indeed fairing just fine. She wasn't as good at dodging as Snow was, but her hits were pretty powerful, and her blocking made up for her lack of speed. Again, just like Snow, her strongest attack was using Faith with the sword.
Kairi's new Seven Wishes blitz attack was what finished it off.
And just like she predicted, the defeat of the Nightmare broke the trance over Phillip. He blinked and looked around frantically, "W-Wait a minute. How did I get here? What happened? The last thing I remember was passing out during lunch."
"You were cursed by a monster," Leah explained. "It took over your body and made you attack us."
"Oh, my apologies!" Phillip was understandably started by this revelation. "Did I hurt anyone?"
"No," Aurora replied, walking up to them with his sword in her hand. She readjusted her grip on it so that she was holding out the handle to him. "But I may or may not have used this to beat the monster."
"Well done, love," Phillip said. "I wish I could've seen you in action."
Aurora simply smiled.
Stefan cleared his throat, "Aurora, dear, if you still wish it, I will give you the honors."
Aurora's smile got wider, knowing what he was referring to. She then turned around to face the counsel members that had been watching the fight, and sternly ordered, "There shall be no execution. The danger has passed. Free the fairies."
Kairi took great pleasure in watching the counsel members nervously nod in agreement, before the knights raced down to the dungeon to release Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.
Aurora then connected eyes with Kairi, who knew what the elder wanted to say.
Like Snow White, she had accepted her fate and now just wanted Kairi to visit the other four before it was too late.
Kairi sad smiled before pointing Fairy Stars at the sky, where a bright lock appeared. A light shot from the tip of her Keyblade and straight at the lock, engulfing it in light.
Again, hopefully, this would allow Aurora to hold on for a little bit longer.
The sky was still dark, and the moment Kairi left, the entire world went black.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Destiny Islands, 10 Years Ago~
It was five weeks later, and just as the mayor said, she did indeed adopt Kairi once the month-long timer had reached zero. Her injuries had mostly healed, aside from a couple of lacerations on her right leg that were not fully healed just yet.
During that month, no one came forward to claim her. However, she did get a lot of care packages, meant to help her settle in. Every single adult had already become very protective of her, and Kairi was eleven years old when she finally realized why.
They thought she was abused where she came from, and the Destiny Islanders as a whole did not believe in that kind of thing.
The kids, however, were a different story. Since they were young, they generally didn't fully understand why their parents were becoming protective of a little girl they just met. Despite that, most of them were kind, albeit curious as to where she came from, while a select few were already being mean.
The only exceptions were Sora and Riku. Now that Kairi thought about it, as the two who found her, it was only natural that they'd be just as protective of her as the adults were. Probably even more so.
Today was Kairi's first day of school, and she didn't like it. Not really. It was mostly introductions that kids and teachers already knew, as well as lots of kids talking about her being the 'new kid' behind her back. Both of these reasons were making her close herself off, not talking much and only speaking when spoken to.
By the time lunch hour rolled around, Kairi already wanted to leave, sincce she hated being alone, she had quickly found out. She couldn't, though, as the maid would only arrive to pick her up at the end of school, so she had to stay and endure for at least three more hours.
When the bell first rang, signaling the start of the lunch hour, Kairi was slow to pick out her lunch from her bag and exit the classroom. Because all around she could see clearly what she did not have. She was grateful that the mayor had agreed to adopt her on Day One, and that the maid that cleaned the house was very kind and like a second mom. But neither could give her what she craved the most.
Friends.
She was the last to leave the classroom, her lovingly packed lunch clutched tightly in her hands. She looked around the courtyard, seeing a few people eat in groups of three or four. Most people went straight to the cafeteria.
Kairi chose the courtyard. It was outside, so it would give her room to breathe. Eight years later, Kairi would recognize the emotion she felt then as anxiety.
However, the moment she sat down on the nearest planter, a spikey, brunette haired boy her age skipped up to her, his own lunch in hand.
"Hey there!" the boy greeted her with a smile. He and his smile were both familiar. "Your name is Kairi, right?"
Kairi nodded shyly, before remembering why she felt she met him before. She didn't remember much about the day she arrived, aside from one slightly faded memory. She remembered two boys finding her, one rushing to get an adult while the other comforting her.
"W-Wait...you're..." she struggled to remember his name. "I can't remember your name. I-It starts with an 'S', right?"
"Yep," the boy didn't seem too disappointed that she couldn't remember his name. In fact, he was smiling. Nine years later, Sora would tell her it was because his parents had told him about her memory loss. "I'm Sora. Nice to meet you, Kairi."
Kairi smiled for the first time she came here, half because of someone finally being nice to her, half because of how infecuous Sora's own smile was. "Thank you...for that night. You and your friend found me. I-...I can't remember his name either...R-..."
"Riku," Sora was patient with her, which Kairi was very grateful for. "And it's no problem. Actually, Riku and I were wondering if you'd like to have lunch with us."
She hesitated. Sora and Riku were best friends, right? What if she drove a wedge between them? What if she broke them apart? What if she ruined their friendship forever?
"A-Are you sure?" her voice was quiet. "I don't want to intrude..."
"It was Riku's idea," Sora's smile didn't fade even a little bit. "He said we should do something nice for you, and I was super fast to agree. We both think you could use a friend. What'd'ya say?"
Even though she was still afraid to come between them, since she was new and they'd probably been best friends for a while now, Kairi accepted his invitation.
And fifteen-year-old Kairi was glad that she did, since it was the invitation to something so much bigger.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Sora's Heartscape~
Through a vast sea of darkness, Sora and Kairi's heart subunconsciously connected. Sora and Kairi themselves remained unaware of this, though. No, it was Naminé's doing. She could feel deep in her heart that Roxas was in danger, which was only possible if Sora was.
Roxas was lost deep within the abyss that was the darkness within Sora's heart. Naminé found him wandering aimlessly, his eyes glazed over as he was about to fall asleep. He fell to his knees and she immediately ran up to him and hugged him from behind, letting her light push away the darkness about to eat him alive.
The light emitted from her chest before surrounding her entire body and then surrounding him. When the light faded, Roxas was resting in her arms, his eyes closed and the darkness gone for now.
Naminé's smile was the first thing he saw when he finally opened his eyes, "Naminé?"
"Morning, Sleepyhead," she greeted, before her smile fell. "Your heart was almost destroyed." That's why she connected their Others' hearts. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Roxas, not after all they'd been through.
"What?" He was clearly confused, but he was also startled even if he chose to hide it.
"Sora has been placed into a nightmare by someone's darkness," Naminé explained. "If he succumbs to it, you will be forever lost, with no way to bring you back."
"I see," Roxas' voice was soft, and Naminé knew it was because he was processing everything she just told him. "The last thing I remember was darkness suddenly flooding in, darkness that shouldn't have been there." He paused, before turning back to her, "You saved me. Thank you."
"I did," Naminé let a little smile slip. "I would take you some place safer, but I must advise you to stay with Sora. Your prescence may be his only hope."
"Oh, I don't plan on leaving him anytime soon," Roxas replied with a small smile of his own, before letting Naminé helping him to his feet. "I owe him so much. He gave me a home to return to, and no one messes with my home."
Naminé smiled. She remembered when Roxas, once upon a time, despised Sora, envious of how the brunette had it all: friends that were alive, a home that wasn't destroyed, freedom that Roxas himself didn't have. But now, it was clear that Roxas didn't want to be the Nobody of anyone but Sora.
"Good luck," she told him. "I'll try my best to help as much as I can, but I can't promise anything."
"Don't worry," he reassured her. "We'll get out of this."
As he faded back into Sora's heart, Naminé hoped with all her might that Roxas was right.
After all, Kairi was in a bit of trouble herself.
To Be Continued...
!~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~O~A~T~H~K~E~E~P~E~R~~A~U~~!
Author's Note About Various Changes: WilyGryphon made me aware that I didn't make this clear last time, so I'll explain it here: All seven Princesses have been put asleep by someone, and that person's darkness is influencing their nightmares (AKA: what Kairi felt). Therefore, any and all characters and events in these nightmares are a product of that darkness, and things only start going right when the Princess begins fighting back (i.e. last chapter, Rose and Snow only became friends after Snow revealed her trauma). Knowing the villain behind the entire series, you guys probably already know whom this darkness belongs to.
Just like with Snow White, the first scene sets up the themes for the rest of the chapter. First, we have emphasis placed on the abnormality of her childhood (ignoring her being a princess), more specifically on who actually raised her (as emphasized on how distant she feels from her parents). Second, we have things happening beyond her control, including other people's expectations she feels she has to live up to. Even as a fully grown adult, and about to become the ruler of a kingdom, she still has very little autonomy. However, like her parents said, her light comes from the strength of her heart and how she's able to remain calm. However, the above two themes combined is what causes Aurora's heart to fracture, as her three parental figures are in danger and she can't do anything about it.
The Nightmares of the Princesses will have roughly the same patterns. They will always be connected to a traumatic item, named after that item, and act according to the Princess's greatest fears. Yes, including Kairi's.
Again, the Fairy Stars Keyblade is from X/Union X, the final upgrade. Aurora's fighting style is like Terra's, which is, again, a nod the first visitor to her world in BBS. Also, this is when Kairi will learn her canon abilities from Re:Mind.
Again, Kairi's ending memories are important. You could consider them parallels to the prologue of this and the Snow White chapters, as they set up what Kairi is insecure about and what she could possibly be broken with.
Concerning the timeline, at this point, Sora has descended into his own nightmare. The Roxas/Naminé scene takes place soon before Roxas appears within Sora's dreams (we all know the scene).
Note: While I am a big fan of Kingdom Hearts, I am still prone to getting the lore wrong at times. So if I get anything wrong, I'm sorry. I'm trying my best to stick to canon as closely as this AU will allow me to (but this point is where I'm starting to go my own direction). Please, no flaming. Instead, just politely inform me in a PM or a review, so I can correct any mistake I make. If you have any ideas or questions, please let me know.
If you want to know what I imagine Kairi to look like, then go to my DeviantArt page, titled "SepticAbzies", and go to the piece titled "Kairi ~ Oathkeeper AU (Full Color)", and I have collages for Naminé, Xion, and my OC now as well. I will update the cover image to match Kairi's appearance (as well as Naminé's and Xion's) as I update each chapter, but keep in mind, Kairi's design in this AU matches how I imagine her growth to be.
Next chapter will focus on the third world, Castle of Dreams, where the Princess there fights to regain her happy ending.